This (behaviour of Iblís) is like that (which is told in the following story), how a certain man saw a thief in the house and ran after him.

این بدان ماند که شخصی دزد دید ** در وثاق اندر پی او می‏دوید

He ran after him (the length of) two or three fields, till the fatigue threw him into a sweat.

تا دو سه میدان دوید اندر پیش ** تا در افگند آن تعب اندر خویش‏

At the moment when, rushing on, he had come so near to him that he might spring upon him and seize him,2795

اندر آن حمله که نزدیک آمدش ** تا بدو اندر جهد دریابدش‏

The second thief cried out to him, “Come, that you may see these signs of calamity.

دزد دیگر بانگ کردش که بیا ** تا ببینی این علامات بلا

Be quick and turn back, O man of (prompt) action, that you may see (how) very pitiable (is) the state of things here.”

زود باش و باز گرد ای مرد کار ** تا ببینی حال اینجا زار زار

He (the householder) said (to himself), “Maybe a thief is yonder: if I do not return at once, this (fate) will befall me.

گفت باشد کان طرف دزدی بود ** گر نگردم زود این بر من رود

He may lay hands upon my wife and child, (and in that case) how would it profit me to bind this thief (whom I am pursuing)?

در زن و فرزند من دستی زند ** بستن این دزد سودم کی کند

This Moslem is calling me in kindness: unless I return quickly, repentance will befall (me).”2800

این مسلمان از کرم می‏خواندم ** گر نگردم زود پیش آید ندم‏

In (confident) hope of the compassion of that well-disposed (friend), he left the thief and again set off (in another direction).

بر امید شفقت آن نیک خواه ** دزد را بگذاشت باز آمد به راه‏

“O good friend,” said he, “what is the matter? By whose hand (violence) is this lamentation and outcry of yours (caused)?”

گفت ای یار نکو احوال چیست ** این فغان و بانگ تو از دست کیست‏

“Look here,” said (the other). “See the thief's footprints! The pimping thief has gone this way. [ “Look here,” said (the other). “See the thief's footprints! The thief whose wife is for hire (who prostitutes his wife to other men) has gone this way.]

گفت اینک بین نشان پای دزد ** این طرف رفته ست دزد زن بمزد

Look at the cuckold thief's footprints! Follow him by means of these marks and traces.”

نک نشان پای دزد قلتبان ** در پی او رو بدین نقش و نشان‏

He answered, “O fool, what are you telling me? Why, I had (as good as) caught him,2805

گفت ای ابله چه می‏گویی مرا ** من گرفته بودم آخر مر و را

(But) at your cry I let the thief go. I deemed you, ass (as you are), a (reasonable) man.

دزد را از بانگ تو بگذاشتم ** من تو خر را آدمی پنداشتم‏

What silly gabble and nonsense is this, O fellow? I (had) found the reality: what (use to me) is the clue?”

این چه ژاژست و چه هرزه ای فلان ** من حقیقت یافتم چه بود نشان‏

He replied, “I am giving you a clue to the real (thing). This is the clue; I am acquainted with the reality.”

گفت من از حق نشانت می‏دهم ** این نشان است از حقیقت آگهم‏

He (the householder) said, “You are an artful knave or else you are a fool; nay, you are a thief and cognisant of this affair.

گفت طراری تو یا خود ابلهی ** بلکه تو دزدی و زین حال آگهی‏

I was (on the point of) dragging my adversary along, (when) you let him escape, saying (to me), ‘Here are (his) traces.’”2810

خصم خود را می‏کشیدم من کشان ** تو رهانیدی و را کاینک نشان‏

You speak of (external) relations, (but) I transcend (all) relations. In union (with God) where are signs or evidences?

تو جهت گو من برونم از جهات ** در وصال آیات کو یا بینات‏

The man that is debarred (from the Essence) sees the (Divine) action (as proceeding) from the Attributes: he that has lost the Essence is in (confined to) the Attributes.

صنع بیند مرد محجوب از صفات ** در صفات آن است کاو گم کرد ذات‏

Inasmuch as those united (with God) are absorbed in the Essence, O son, how should they look upon His Attributes?

واصلان چون غرق ذاتند ای پسر ** کی کنند اندر صفات او نظر

When your head is at the bottom of the river, how will your eye fall on the colour of the water?

چون که اندر قعر جو باشد سرت ** کی به رنگ آب افتد منظرت‏

And if you come back from the bottom to the colour of the water, then you have received a coarse woollen garment and given (fine) fur (in exchange).2815

ور به رنگ آب باز آیی ز قعر ** پس پلاسی بستدی دادی تو شعر

The piety of the vulgar is sin in the elect; the unitive state of the vulgar is a veil in the elect.

طاعت عامه گناه خاصگان ** وصلت عامه حجاب خاص دان‏

If the king make a vizier a police inspector, the king is his enemy, he is not his friend.

مر وزیری را کند شه محتسب ** شه عدوی او بود نبود محب‏

Also, that vizier will have committed some offence: necessarily change (for the worse) is not (does not occur) without cause.

هم گناهی کرده باشد آن وزیر ** بی‏سبب نبود تغیر ناگزیر

He that has been a police inspector from the first—to him that (office) has been fortune and livelihood from the beginning;

آن که ز اول محتسب بد خود و را ** بخت و روزی آن بده ست از ابتدا

But he that was first the king's vizier—evil-doing is the cause of making him a police inspector.2820

لیک آن کاول وزیر شه بده ست ** محتسب کردن سبب فعل بد است‏

When the King has called you from the threshold into His presence, and again has driven you back to the threshold,

چون ترا شه ز آستانه پیش خواند ** باز سوی آستانه باز راند

Know for sure that you have committed a sin and in folly have brought forward (pleaded) compulsion (as the cause),

تو یقین می‏دان که جرمی کرده‏ای ** جبر را از جهل پیش آورده‏ای‏

Saying, “This was my (predestined) portion and lot.” (But) then, why was that good luck in your hands yesterday?

که مرا روزی و قسمت این بده ست ** پس چرا دی بودت آن دولت به دست‏

Through folly you yourself have cut off your lot. The worthy man augments his lot.

قسمت خود خود بریدی تو ز جهل ** قسمت خود را فزاید مرد اهل‏

The story of the Hypocrites and their building the Mosque of Opposition.

قصه‏ی منافقان و مسجد ضرار ساختن ایشان‏

It is fit if you will hearken to another parable concerning perversity (taken) from the narrative in the Qur’án.2825

یک مثال دیگر اندر کژروی ** شاید ار از نقل قرآن بشنوی‏

The Hypocrites played against the Prophet (just) such a crooked game at odd and even (as was played by Iblís against Mu‘áwiya),

این چنین کژ بازیی در جفت و طاق ** با نبی می‏باختند اهل نفاق‏

Saying, “Let us build a mosque for the glory of the Mohammedan religion”; and that was (really) apostasy (on their part).

کز برای عز دین احمدی ** مسجدی سازیم و بود آن مرتدی‏

Such a crooked game were they playing: they built a mosque other than his mosque.

این چنین کژ بازیی می‏باختند ** مسجدی جز مسجد او ساختند

They constructed (well) its floor and roof and dome, but they desired to disunite the (Moslem) community.

فرش و سقف و قبه‏اش آراسته ** لیک تفریق جماعت خواسته‏

They came to the Prophet with (guileful) entreaty: they knelt as camels before him,2830